I have just brought a violin its a really nice instrument got it from my local music shop as was on offer and couldn't resist! and have always wanted to play!

just a few questions anyway:

1. can i teach this instrument myself of do i really really need a teacher?

2. how long can i expect to be playing until i can get a good sound, well good enough to start thinking of grades? averages please i know everyones different!

3. is it possible to teach myself to a good enough standard to join the local orchestra? i know this will take time but is it possible?

4. grades? i'm only playing it for fun so are they worth taking?

thankyou,

Nicia[size=4][color=#CC33CC]

Ok, to answer your questions in chronological order:

1. A few lessons with a teacher, just to get you started, is almost imperative. Teaching yourself from a book alone is not a sensible option. The alternative is to get hold of one of these violin lesson DVDs and learn from that. Make sure you practice in front of a long mirror to begin with, since it is important to develop good posture, holding the violin and bowing correctly. Good posture will also help you avoid back or shoulder problems.

2. How long is a piece of string?! I cannot say that there is any average for this. I have students who take to the violin very quickly, while others never really become good at playing in anything other than first position. This is the bonus of having a teacher, they will be able to guide and advise you. In reality it takes many years of serious training to make a REALLY GOOD sound on the violin, but if you get on well with the instrument and practice regularly (10 minutes every day for example), there is no reason why you couldn't be producing a pleasant sound in 3 to 6 months.

3. Depends what standard the local orchestra let people in at. You would need to check with them. If they play simplified arrangements of pieces then they may even take beginners. However, depending on what repertoire they play the usual metric for violinists is something around grade 5 or 6, upwards. Your technique will need considerable development to play and sight-read at this level. If you have no knowledge of playing a bowed string instrument, then lessons are a must to give you the guidance to gain that level of technique. String instruments are very different to woodwind when it comes to this. Whereas you might get away with something a bit unorthodox on a wind instrument, a poor technique on the violin will banish you from anything but easy pieces. Developing a mental map of the fingerboard is also essential.

4. If you want to take grades then take them, if you don't want to, then don't. Most students that I have taught 'from scratch' have taken one, two or sometimes three exams as benchmarks for their own achivement or satisfaction, but I would never force anyone (adult or child) into taking exams if they didn't want to do them.

1. Get a teacher!
2. Well it has been 11 years for me, and still counting...a great sound is very difficult to get.
3. Probably, but I don't think it's a good idea. It depends on their standard too.
4. Depends how motivated you are, if you practice all the time for fun you might not want to, but doing one or two as markerstones can't hurt. Just don't structure your learning around exams.

Please, definitely get a teacher at the beginning. I had one, but he wasn't very good (didn't know this at the time, coming from a musical but non-violin background and being about 9) and now, 6 years on, I am having to relearn everything like my bow hold and arm position. It isn't fun, I can tell you.

Thankyou so much for your advice my local music shop has gave me a list of violin teachers and iwill ask my clarinet teacher for advice as to who to go to she knows just about every teacher in the area!

have been just messing about with the violin pizzacato (sp) i am finding easy and have been using a tuner to see if my notes are in tune and 9 times out of ten i am which i am sooo pleased about this was what i was worrying about but it seems i have a good ear i can tell straight away if i have put my finger on the wrong place on the finger board!!!

the problem is when i come to use the bow i can hardly get a sound out of the instrument! i have used rosin on the bow so is just that i need some kinda instruction as to how to use the thing!!!!

really really like the instrument though and will like it even more when i have got a teacher. think i would like to grades to say i've got grades in woodwind piano and strings... i would be so pleased if i could get a grade on the violin sometime in the future but more then anything learn the great repertoire written for the violin

firstly i need a teacher and learn how to use that bow!!!!

Hmmm.....i would recommend getting a teacher. I've been playing violin 6 years now and still struggle to get a good sound. It took me 3 years to do grade 1 but that was with no previous musical knowledge, and with little practice.

I had a few initial lessons to get my bow grip correct, and how to place your fingers etc. I think that is very important to establish good habits from the beginning. I have just sat grade 3, been playing for almost 2 years, on and off. If you can have a few lessons, I would go for it, if not more. Have fun!

Use more rosin. I find that hardly anyone uses enough on a new bow. The hair needs to turn completely white. Cheap Chinese bows sometimes have a problem with really greasy hair which makes it very difficult to get the rosin on first time - especially if you are using a new block of rosin as well. I'd put an awful lot of money on that being the problem.

Liz

Joy is 100% right about that! Good habits will be a huge benefit in the future, and bad habits are hard to break (trust me on this!)

Thankyou am seeing my clarinet teacher this friday and as she know loadsa teachers she can advice me on which to get thankyou

Hi

When you use a new rosin block for the first time (just bought one) you have to "scratch" the surface of this block before you start applying the rosin on your bow. When new, the rosin surface is hard as stone and the hair of the bow won't pick any of it. So use whatever you want (sand paper, your car key, ...) and rub the block of rosin' surface. Then you pass your bow several times. Then only will you hear a sound. I had the same problem the first time I tried myself to play a violin. It can be so depressing....